The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Singapore Season 8 concluded today with defending champions, NIP Flash, securing their third consecutive title during the Playoffs. The team triumphed over title contenders, EVIL, bouncing back to a 4-1 win after losing the first game of the Grand Finals and securing the lion's share of the SGD 100,000 prize pool. They now join long-time rivals, RSG SG, as the only other team in Singapore to hold the title of three-peat champions, marking their legacy as one of the nation's best-ever teams.
Champions eye world glory once more
NIP Flash will represent Singapore at the upcoming M6 World Championship to vie for world champion title at the tournament that is the pinnacle of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) esports, as the first team to qualify for the tournament. The flagship international MLBB tournament features a ~SGD 1,300,000 (USD 1,000,000) prize pool and will conclude at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur Sports City, Bukit Jalil, where the inaugural M World Championship was hosted five years ago. The M Series has established itself as one of the world's most popular esports events, with the M5 World Championship drawing a Peak Concurrent Viewership (PCV) of 5.06M viewers.
The team recently etched themselves into the ranks of the world's best teams after their top-four finish at the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2024, held in conjunction with the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2024. NIP Flash matched Singapore's best performances at an international MLBB tournament in over 900 days, taking home ~SGD 260,000 (USD 200,000) — the highest prize earnings ever for a Singaporean MLBB esports team.
Season 8 hosts largest-ever Playoffs
Season 8 set a record as the largest-ever Playoffs in MPL Singapore history with a seating capacity of 390, uniting fans in a powerful display of support for the athletes in Singapore's standalone professional esports league. According to Esports Charts, the Grand Finals was the most highly-viewed match of the season, recording a PCV of 40,401. This makes Season 8 the second-most popular MPL Singapore season ever!
This season, NIP Flash's all-star team emerged victorious once again, defeating title contenders, EVIL, with a 4-1 score in the Grand Finals. The first match saw EVIL take the lead right from the start with EVIL's Jungler, Bien "Boyet" Chumecera, securing a triple kill with his signature Hayabusa. The Jungler claimed the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Game by taking both Lords, stealing the first one right from under NIP Flash's nose. In the second game, EVIL once again challenged NIP Flash by successfully chipping away at their base twice during the 15th and 16th minutes. However, they were unable to capitalise on the lead and ultimately lost the game with a close kill record of 21-24. Riding this momentum, NIP Flash came back strong, sweeping the third, fourth, and fifth games.
The final game unfolded with both Junglers taking each other out right from the start. Yet, NIP Flash quickly bounced back, securing the first and second Turtles to extend their early lead. EVIL, determined to turn the tides, were unfortunately punished for their over-aggressive play as NIP Flash's Roamer, Akihiro "JPL" Furusawa, took out EVIL's Roamer, Willie "PoWerFuL" Lee. NIP Flash circled around the first Lord in sight, preparing for a fight which saw them taking down an EVIL member, positioning themselves for an uncontested Lord.
As the struggle for the second Lord ensued, NIP Flash committed to yet another team fight, successfully taking down two members of EVIL. This forced EVIL to play defensively, scrambling to protect their base as the Lord advanced on the top lane. However, NIP Flash overcommitted in their assault, leading to a turn of events as four of their members were taken out, leaving only EXP Laner, Yeo "Diablo" Wee Lun, to escape with a sliver of health. The decisive fight over the third Lord would determine the game's outcome. NIP Flash seized the moment, initiating yet another team fight while circling the Lord. NIP Flash's Mid Laner, Jankurt "KurtTzy" Russel Matira, decisively engaged with the opponents, scoring a stunning Triple Kill. With the remaining members of EVIL taken down, NIP Flash charged forward, securing the enemy base which saw them once again lift the MPL Singapore trophy.
McDonald's Singapore joins MPL Singapore for the third consecutive season as Presenting Partner. MPL Singapore Season 8 also saw a regional partnership with global multichannel retailer, JD Sports, as Partner in Esports, while multinational pharmaceutical corporation, Rohto, came onboard as an Official Partner. The league was further supported by Samsung Singapore and the Singapore Esports Association as Partners in Esports. *SCAPE also returned for a second season as MPL Singapore's Youth Partner.
